Sawmill



April 3, 1928. 1,665,001 c. H. TURNER SAW MILL Original Filed Oct. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

Charles H. Turner [22 zrezzzfor Attorneys.

April 3, 1928. 1,665,001

C. H. TURNER sAw MILL Original Filed Oct. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles H'- Turner Attorneys Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNETED STATES rectum FATENT @FF-ICE.

SAWMILL.

Continuation of application Serial No. 667,420, filed (Ectober 8, 1923.

This application filed January 6,

1926. Serial No. 79,536.

This invention relates to saw mills and has particular reference to a saw mill whichis operated as an attachment to a self-propelled tractor of the internal combustion engine type. The objects of the invention are the provision of new and improved controlling expedients so located and combined with other elements of the mechanism as to enable a single operator to saw an increased amount of lumber per day with a decreased amount of fuel and less injury to the tractor engine; the provision of a new and improved footcontrol for saw mills; while further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application I have shown certain physical forms in which my inventive idea can be embodied although it will be understood that these drawings are in tended to be merely illustrative of the principles of my invention instead of beingexhaustive of its mode of application. Fig. l is a perspective view of a saw mill belted to a tractor and provided with my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the essential elements falling within my invention; Fig. 3 is an end view of the saw mill frame showing my improved pedal control in place thereon; Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a convenient supporting bracket for such pedal control; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the movable pedal member; Fig. 6 is a sectional View corresponding to the line 6-6 in Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 7 is a. perspective view of one mode of connecting my device to the engine throttle.

The saw mill comprises essentially a frame 1 having journaled thereto an arbor 2 on which is mounted a circular saw 8.

' Projecting past this saw are spaced rails 4 running on which is a movable carriage 5 which carries the saw log 6. Any suitable means may be provided to advance and retract this carriage. For illustrative purposes I have here shown one of the simplest and most used devices comprising a cable 7 wound on a suitable drum 8 which is connected to the arbor 2 by suitable mechanical connections (not shown in detail) whichare under the control of the lever 10 pivoted by the frame 1. Ordinarily the driving connections are so arranged as to enable the sawyer to stand at the end of the frame 1 immediately beside the tracks a with this lever immediately in front of him, and the lever itself being arranged so that when tipped in one" direction from its neutral point the carriage will be advanced and when tipped in the other direction the'carriage will be retracted. The carriage is also provided with suitable mechanism illustrated generally at 12, for securing the saw log rigidly in place and with a lever 13 which can be actuated to shift the log sidewise towards the plane of the saw, this last lever being provided with a handle 14 projecting across the top of the saw-log so as to pass closely by the sawyer as the carriage is advanced or retracted.

The arbor 2 is also provided with a pulley 16 which is connected by means of a belt 17 to the work pulley 18 of a tractor. An internal combustion engine of the tyPecuS- tomarily used in such tractors is always diiiicult to control, since it is injured by running at high speed Without load,--and since it is deficient in power if operated at low speed under high load, as well as exhibiting very rapid acceleration. when the load is removed and the throttle left open. Attempts have been made to regulate the operation of such a motor by means of automatic gover nors, but such means are unsuccessful for the present use owing to the failure of the governor to act until after a'reduction of speed has occurred, which is too late for practical usesowing to the difiiculty which such an engine exhibits with picking up speed under the heavy load imposed by such a saw.

In order to control this engine I provide a foot pedal so located as to be readily operated by the sawyer without requiring him to move from his usual position, this pedal being connected to the engine throttle. The connections to this pedal are so arranged that when the pedal is not actuated the engine operates at such speed as to pick up speed readily yet without injury to the bearings, and so that when pressed by the sawyers foot the throttle will be opened to permit quick acceleration; and coupled with this control I have found it advantageous to eliminate flywheel function substantially entirely from the saw mill. Suchan internal combustion engine as is used on most tractors, in order to deliver the power necessary to saw logs of substantial. size, is necessarily run at a rather high speed, which it readily withstands so long as it operates under load, but which causes it to deteriorate rapidly'it' continued at the same speed without load. One reason why a governor is detective is that if the governor be set to operate the throttle at such speed as will permit efl'ec' tive operation of the saw mill, the engine will tear itself to pieces while the carriage is being retracted or the saw log adjusted; whereas if the governor beset so as to preventinj ury to the engine under light load conditions, proper sawing is prevented. By

the use of a pedal arrangement as herein described it becomes possible for the sawyer to speed up the engine just betorethe log reaches the saw and allow the engine to slow down as soon as the log passes by the 33W, and I have further found it advantageous toomit the fly wheel always heretofore employed with such saw mills in order to avoid. the necessity of speeding that up also at the moment when sawing conmicnces. By

i omitting the flywheel and employing this pedal control the amount of lumber which can be sawed in, a single day is substantially increased, i

This pedal is most conveniently secured to the saw frame and, in one form which I haveisuccessfully employed, comprises a rock shaft 20 journaled horizontally to the end oith e frame l and provided at one end with e an upstanding arm 2land at the other end with a dependingpart22 ending in a foot engaged portion 23, i This entirepedal membet; is preferably made from a single iron rod, suitably bent to shape, and I have here shown it supported by means of a bracket comprising a straight part 24 formed ateach end with a U ha/ped bearing 25 receiving the rock; shai whic s de y st n therein by-a pin 26, One end otthe bracket is provided with an; upright part 27 directly behind the 21 and the arm is normally held thereagainst by means of a suitable spring 28.

i The engine throt le is op rated bym f: a mov bl m m er epre nteclhere at 3 Tothis is secured a spring 31, or equivalent device, arranged to close the throttle and restrain the engine. In order to open the throttle against the tension of this sp ring the free end of the arm 21 is secured to this member by means of a suitabletension member 82, a pulley 33 being generally employed to cause it to act upon the member 30 in the proper direction as shown in Fig. 7. Any suitable material may be used for the member 32, such as rope, wire, chain, or leather. It is necessarily adjusted to length after the belt 17 has been applied and stretched to the proper tension, and I have shown two modes of changing: this adjustment, one by means of a screw 33 whereby the tensigm member is attached to the arm 21, and the other by means of a set screw 3& carried by the member 27 and regulating the normal position of that arm. The stretching of the belt requires occasional shifting of the tractor to take up the slack, which requires readjustment ot the throttle control, added to which, each new location of the machinery necessitates such adjustment. i i

I am aware that: minorchanges may made in my invent on, although the me-1s limited to those particular conditions which ar se when a sawmill oi the character described is operated as an attachment to an internal combustion engine tractor originally des gned torother purposes, wherefore I do not seek to cover or protect any conditions or combinations excepting those set forth in, I

the accompanying claim.

Having thus described I claim is: p

In a sawmill having frame, shaft .journaled in said frame, a saw operative-1y connected to said shaft, and pulleymeans on said shaft adapted to be connected by a belt to a distant source of power; means for cone trolling said source of power comprising a foot pedal mounted on said frame .in hosition for convenient foot manipulation, y a sawmill operator, an arm operatively assomy invention what ciated with said foot pedal, tension means connecting saidarm and. the throttle of said distant source of power, and means asso elated WltllyStUCl pedallfor normally mains taining said arm in position to provide the smallest quantity of power necessary to operate saidsawmill t p In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. 7 i

CHARLES-H- TURNER- 

